1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescent device and to an apparatus for manufacturing the same, and to an electronic apparatus and a method of removing ionic impurities.
Priority is claimed on Japanese applications No. 2002-221673, filed Jul. 30, 2002, and No. 2003-195296, filed Jul. 10, 2003, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, as methods of manufacturing a device having a micro wiring pattern such as a semiconductor integrated circuit or methods of manufacturing an electrooptical device that forms a functional layer such as a transparent electrode or a light emitting layer on a substrate, methods that form wiring or form a film using a droplet discharge method such as an inkjet method have been attracting attention. As a method of this type in which droplets are discharged, a technology is known that relates to the manufacture of an electrical circuit using an inkjet method as is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 11-274671. In this disclosed technology an electrical circuit is formed by discharging a fluid that contains a material for forming a pattern from an inkjet head onto a pattern formation surface. This technology is extremely effective due to its ability to be used in diversified
Normally, a liquid material discharged from an inkjet head is formed by mixing a material for forming various functional layers such as wiring that is to be patterned on a substrate or a thin film that is to be formed on a substrate together with an organic solvent or dispersion medium. However, if, for example, the liquid material is stored for an extended period of time before it is discharged, changes sometimes occur in the state of the liquid material caused by the solvent or dispersion medium. Specifically, there are cases in which clusters and ionic impurities are created in the liquid material. In devices such as organic electroluminescent (EL) devices formed from liquid material whose state has changed in this manner and in which clusters or ionic impurities have been created the problem arises that the initial properties and life span properties are deteriorated.
The present invention was conceived in view of the above circumstances and it is an object thereof to provide a method of manufacturing an organic EL device and an apparatus for manufacturing an organic EL device that enable initial properties and life span properties to be improved when manufacturing an organic EL device using a droplet discharge method such as, for example, an inkjet method, and to an electronic apparatus and a method of removing ionic impurities.